POl'LTKV riKnil'CTlOX. 



CHAPTER I. 



POULTRY PRODUCTION AND THE POULTRY 

 INDUSTPtY. 



Definition of Poultry.' — Poultry is a term designating 

 collecti\eIy those spreies of Ijirds wliieli render man an 

 economic ser\iee and reproduce regnljirly and freely under 

 his care. It includes chickens, turkeys, dncks, geese, swans, 

 guineas, pigeons, pheasants, peafowl and ostriches, and refers 

 to them whether ali\'e or dresse(l.- 



Relative Importance of the Different Species of Poultry. — 

 Chickens are of preeminent importance among the various 

 species of poultry. As shown in Table I, the total number 

 of poultry found on the farms of the United States'' Jantiary 

 1, 1920, "was :i72,S25,2(14 birds. Of these, Oli.d per cent 

 (3o9,.'):]7,127) were cliiekens;a littleover 1 i)ercent (.':!,(127,02S) 

 were turkeys; less than .75 per cent (2,M7,(j24) A\ere ducks; 

 a trifle over .78 per cent (2,9:]0,203) \\ere geese; while the 

 total for guineas (2,410,421), pigeons {i,493,(i30), and 

 ostriches (231) was slightly o\er 1 per cent (3,()04,2S2). 



' A(.lapted from Puscli, All^emeine Tiorziicht. 



2 Tlie nan;ie3 of the various apcciea of |>oiiltry also rlpsignate them respect- 

 i\-ei\' when dressed, there being no soiiaiate term.s, as in the ease of "beef," 

 "mutton," and "pork." 



3 Unfortunately these figures fail to take into account the numbers of 

 poultry which are kept in the towns and \'illagos, and which would apprc- 

 eia):)ly increase both the total TiumbiTs and the re!nti\ o i.)roi*r)rfion of chicken 

 to other species. 



2 (17) 



